Gray, Trevor

Trevor Hedley Gray was the son of Royden Arthur Gray (1881-1969) and Daisy Lennox Arthur (1882 – 1966) and was born on 13 September 1914 in Whanganui.

He was educated at New Plymouth Boy’s High School and was involved with athletics and gymnastics – he was a member of YMCA gymnastics display team for four years.

When he left school he worked in the New Plymouth store, Kash and then Kingsway Menswear. On 1 June 1940 he married New Plymouth woman, Doreen Hogarth.

In October 1939 he applied for training with the RNZAF aircrew division and finally enlisted in November 1940. He received his training at Levin, then Bell Block and finally Ohakea before being sent to England in May 1941. Dorren was pregnant at the time and gave birth to their daughter, Lorriane, just two days after he departed.

After receiving further training he was posted to No 5 Squadron based at Feltwell, Norfolk. Trevor Gray carried out six operational missions against targets in Europe before his death.

He was killed in action on 7 November 1941 when his Wellington bomber aircraft crashed at Utingeradeel, Holland. Their target mission that night was Berlin.

His family received a letter informing them of his death in 1947 (six years after the fact) that stated his aircraft had crashed landed with such force that the, “plane penetrated deeply into the ground and exploded immediately. No bodies were recovered from the crash, nor is it possible to attempt excavation at this stage”.

In 1953 Dutch authorities decided to salvage the aircraft and during this time the bodies of the six airmen were recovered and buried at Bergen-op-Zoom (Canadian War Cemetery), Holland.

Trevor was 27 years old when died and was survived by his wife and young daughter Lorraine.

Books

Lest we Forget: a tribute by New Plymouth Boy's High School, New Plymouth, to the 227 men of the School who died while serving their Country during the Second World War, 1939-1945, by Jack West, TRCT940.5467 WES